The Newsletter of The Cliff Dwellers

ON AND OFF THE CLIFF

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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111th Annual Meeting of THE CLIFF DWELLERS Submitted by William J. Drennan CD’02, Secretary

In keeping with tradition and in accordance

with the by-laws, Club members gathered January 8

for the 111th

Annual Meeting of The Cliff Dwellers.

The bar opened at 4:30 and members visited and

greeted each other in the New Year.

Larry Okrent CD’93 went to considerable

effort to organize and successfully shoot a group

photo for the historical record. Then back to

drinking and visiting while Artist in Residence

Keanon Kyles CD’17 entertained on the piano.

The traditional steak dinner prepared by Chef

Victor Perez and his staff was served at 6:30.

The meeting was called to order at 7:25 P.M.

by President David Chernoff CD’10. Chernoff

welcomed members and handed the microphone to

Master of Ceremonies Bill Bowe CD’97.

Bowe began by quoting from “The House by

the Side of the Road” by poet Sam Foss (b. 1858), a

contemporary of Cliff Dweller founder Hamlin

Garland. (Continued on Page 2)

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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Let me live in my house by the side of the

road

And enjoy the passersby.

They are good, they are bad, they are weak,

they are strong,

Wise, foolish - so am I.

Bowe continued, “In our house (the Kiva) by the

side of the road, we befriend others easily, and we

are befriended in return. We forget not only our

own shortfalls and those of others, but we briefly

put aside the hurly-burly of the outside world. Best

of all we appreciate and respect the different paths

in life our fellow members have taken. And it all

adds up to a wonderful place to spend time with

others who share a common interest in the arts.”

President Chernoff gave the first report of the

evening. In his brief comments Chernoff noted that

the Club is in good shape in terms of finances,

programs, and membership. He thanked a number

of people for their continuing efforts on behalf of

the Club especially noting the management team of

Don Santelli, Vivian Gutierrez, Michelle Fitzgerald,

and Victor Perez. Chernoff also thanked members

of the Board, committee chairs, and officers.

Treasurer David Mann CD’84 quoting a

history from the Club’s 40th

anniversary noted,

“How the club survives has never been fully

ascertained.” Nevertheless, fiscal year 2017 showed

an $18K surplus in operations, putting the Club on

solid footing.

Program Chair Joan Pantsios CD’14 noted the

on-going variety of Club programs suggested by

members.

Membership Chair Bill Drennan CD’02

reported the Club roster showed 417 members at

year’s end. 297 are residents and 120 are non-

resident members.

Tom Thorson CD’15 and Kim Sargent CD’15

have been especially active in building membership

this past year.

Drennan then asked members to stand for a

moment of silent remembrance of those we lost in

2017:

MELVYN SKVARLA

MARIE THERESE McDERMOTT.

House Chair Paul Hamer CD’05 reported the

following:

--a new air conditioning unit has been

installed

--the building will open a tenants’

lounge and fitness center in the new year

available to Club members.

Introducing and complimenting the staff, Hamer

noted that not a single complaint had been lodged

during the past year.

Trish VanderBeke CD’96 President of The

Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation reported on an

excellent year with over $10K in donations from

Club members. 2018 marks the 60th

anniversary of

the Foundation. Drawing on investment earnings,

the Foundation distributed $12K in grants to small

arts organizations in and around the city. 2018 will

feature the biennial music competition open to

college-level music students for the area. This

year’s competition will be based on performance of

a string quartet commissioned for the event.

As Chair of the Nominating Committee Bill

Bowe introduced the three nominees for Board

membership to serve terms ending January 2021:

GEORGE EDWARD MANNING CD’13

JOAN L. PANTSIOS CD’14

CHRISTIAN VINYARD CD’15

All candidates were elected by acclamation.

The evening was brought to a close by

President Chernoff assisted by his wife Lauren

drawing names. Prize winners were:

Robert Creamer CD’81—free drink;

Bill Bowe—free lunch;

Joan Schenk CD’15—free dinner.

Mike Deines CD’03 then led the assembled

members in a rousing rendition of ZIVIO.

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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Members-Past and Present-Meeting Annually on the Cliff

CD Past Presidents: Charlie Hasbrouck ‘09, Wil Hasbrouck ’64,

Leslie Recht ‘03, Larry Lund ‘02, Kristine Fallon ‘87, Walker Johnson ‘84, David Chernoff ‘09, and Bill Bowe ‘97

Carla Funk ‘16, Andrew Elder ‘17,

Joan Pantsios ‘14, Margery al-Chalabi ‘85

3 Generations of Hasbroucks

Ruth Aizuss Migdal ‘13,

Trish VanderBeke ‘96, Eve Moran ‘10

Alan Alongi ‘12, Ernst Slotar ‘86,

Larry Okrent ‘93

Richard Eastline ‘73, Stan Cielic ‘05

Walker Johnson ‘84, Larry Msall’13,

Paul Hamer ‘05

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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2017 Holidays Arrive on the Cliff! Santa Guar Is Coming to Town! HO! HO! HO!

President Chernoff enjoys our freshly

decorated Christmas tree.

Santa Gaur oversees the CD holidays.

Walker spotted the Christmas Ship arriving

on November 30.

George Gabauer was at his best capturing

holiday events at the Club.

Garlands of lights illuminate Mr. Garland.

A new member, Andrew Elders CD’17 helped curate the art display on the

Kiva ledge.

David Hoffman CD’07 (left)and friends

celebrated their 50 years of singing 4-part acapella harmony at Old St. Marys.

Charlie Carpenter on piano and Ed Torrez

CD’17 played an accordian medley of holiday songs for everyone’s pleasure.

Soprano Kimberly E. Jones joined Keenan Kyles AIR’17 for a stirring rendition of

"Chestnuts roasting on an open fire…”

Thank-you Michelle.

Heading home.

We all heard the bell ring, Clarence!

Janette Tepas CD’17 (glowing necklace)

brought U of I sorority friends to the Cliff to enjoy their “Wonderful Life.”

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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The President’s 2017 Year-End Report

It’s hard to believe that two years have gone by and this is my last President’s Report. I’m glad to say the

Club is in good shape these days, physically, financially, programmatically, operationally, and otherwise.

Some other items of interest:

The Board has adopted a budget for FY 2017-18 that projects a small surplus.

We're continuing to add both regular and new trial members.

Construction of the new exercise facility (with locker rooms & showers!) is now complete, and the

facility is now open. CD members (except reduced-rate Building members) may use this new

facility without charge. You will need to see Don or Vivian to sign up and get details.

The 111th

Annual Meeting, dinner and election of Directors was well attended and enjoyed by all.

Congratulations to George Edward Manning, Joan Pantsios, and Christian Vinyard on their election

to the Board for three-year terms.

Thanks to our Program Committee, we have many good events planned for this winter, including:

Wednesday, January 24: Kick-off of 31st Annual Munro Campagna Calendar event, featuring

images of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings.

Thursday, January 25: Jazz Night with saxophonist Rajiv Hamlin, guitarist Matt Gold and bassist

Junius Paul.

Friday, February 9: Mardi Gras Masquerade Party.

Saturday, February 17: Spektral Quartet: Close Encounters: Sipping a Glass of 1908 Vienna.

Wednesday, March 7: Literary Salon. CD member Richard Reeder (moderator of CD Book Club)

will engage featured guest Rick Kogan in conversation.

Friday, March 23: International Women’s Day Lunch. Speaker: Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County

Board President.

I remind you that CD members may dine and drink at the Union League Club

when CD is closed, namely, breakfast 7 days, dinner Saturday, all day Sunday, and

during the year-end holiday break. If you are having out-of-town guests, well-priced

hotel rooms are available at ULC at all times, subject to availability.

I encourage you to continue to recruit new members -- the lifeblood of the

Club -- and to use the Club facilities more often, including parties and events. More

members and more meals served (especially in the evening) will not only make the

Club even more enjoyable for all, but will also allow us to operate in the black.

Each of you can help.

As I complete my second year as President, I want to thank the many people

with whom I worked who made my life somewhat easier, including Chef Victor, the

Club Managers and staff, Board members, Committee Chairs, the Past President and

Officers. It was a privilege to be your leader, and I’m glad I’m leaving the Club in

good shape and in good hands.

Zivio!

David S. Chernoff

President

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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What’s Happening On and Off the Cliff

2018 Officers for The Cliff Dwellers

Eve Moran President

Joan Pantsios Vice President

David Mann

Treasurer

Bill Drennan

Secretary

At the January 19, 2018, meeting of the Board of Directors of The Cliff Dwellers the members of the

Board elected the individuals noted above to become the Officers of the Club. We appreciate their willingness

to step up and serve our club with good leadership and careful management of our affairs. Zivio to you all!

The Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation Turns 60! By Trish VanderBeke CD’96 Art Foundation Chair

Established in 1958 by a group of Cliff Dwellers led by Joseph Shapiro, The Cliff Dwellers Arts

Foundation (CDAF) is a separate, though obviously closely affiliated, organization giving out over $!0,000 a

year in grants and making a tangible impact in the Chicago arts community. Arts organizations both small and

large come to the CDAF through members’ recommendations as well as the Club’s website applying for

support in either the spring or fall grant cycles offered yearly to groups operating in the city of Chicago and/or

surrounding suburbs. Past recipients have included representatives from the disciplines of theater, opera, dance,

music (from hip-hop to classical), cinema, fine art, and performance art, and, as the CDAF name has appeared

in their programs or spread through word of mouth, an ever more diversified pool of applicants has been drawn

to the program.

In addition to monetary support, the CDAF has, for the last eight years, offered grant recipients the

opportunity to present their work in the Club’s beautiful Kiva. Hosting over 50 free programs at which highly

regarded artists such as Remy Bumppo, Spektral Quartet, and the Club’s own John David Mooney, club

members, their guests, supporters of the featured organization, and the general public have been brought

together by theCDAF in what the Chicago Reader has called the city’s “Best Semblance of a Salon.” On hiatus

until later in the year, this series has introduced potential new members to the club and, according to the club’s

accountant, increased revenue on the nights when events were held as compared to similar nights (typically

Tuesdays). The CDAF is (Continued on Page 7)

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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hoping to host a gala event bringing several grant recipients together in one evening to celebrate 60 years of

supporting the arts sometime this fall; a “save the date card” will go out once the date has been determined.

The CDAF also holds a music competition now on a biennial basis. The competition is open to students

registered in one of the several college-level music programs in the area and is centered upon a particular

instrument or group of instruments. Members are welcome to attend the final judging of this year’s competition

(to be held at the Club the morning of Feb. 10th) which will feature string quartets playing music of their

choosing as well as a specially commissioned competition piece by Chicago composer Andy Gillespie. Past

competitions have featured string instruments and piano with “Cliff Dweller” pieces by, respectively,

Guggenheim Fellowship recipient Marcos Balter, and Lisa Kaplan keyboardist with Chicago’s Grammy award

winning Eighth Blackbird.

The Club’s piano, used in the competition and at many club events, and some of the artwork in the

permanent collection is owned by the CDAF in order to assist the Club in creating an atmosphere conducive to

artistic enjoyment (and to allow the donors of these items to take a charitable deduction on their income taxes).

Something the CDAF can’t take credit for, however, is the series of rotating art exhibitions in the club’s gallery;

these displays, of paintings and other (typically) 2 dimensional art on the wall and sculpture on the window

ledges, is curated and mounted by the Club’s Art Committee not the Arts Foundation. At the ripe age of 60, the

Cliff Dwellers Arts Foundation is pleased to have been and will continue to be a relevant and vibrant part of

Chicago’s arts community. We are very grateful to the many club members who generously give so that The

Cliff Dwellers might literally fulfill its mission of being a place for “People who Support the Arts”.

Thank-you from the CD Art Committee By Connie Hinkle CD’01 Art Committee Co-Chair

The Cliff Dwellers would like to

thank all the artists who

generously shared their artwork

with the Club in 2017. We were

very fortunate to have a Cliff

Dweller connection for each

artist who displayed on our

gallery walls this past year,

including longtime members and

current Artist in Residence

members. Member spouses and

members who are no longer with

us but are loved and remembered also honored us with their

work. Additionally, we extend a huge thank-you to all the

talented sculptors who exhibited an incredible variety of work this year at the Club. Art openings at the Cliff

are always fun and casual meet-and-greet evenings in the Kiva with many members and friends of the artists in

attendance. Please join us at these events.

Marcelo Eli CD AIR '17

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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2018 CD Book Club Is Ready to Roll By Richard Reeder CD’13

The Cliff Dwellers Book Club has a focus on books that have a Chicago interest, both past and present; fiction and

non-fiction. Contemporary writers are invited to participate in the discussion of their books, and often attend. This year

Honorary Cliff Dwellers Stuart Dybek and Angela Jackson have agreed to join us.

We often continue the discussion with lunch at the Club afterwards. I have had the distinct honor of facilitating the

discussions since the start of the book club five years ago. We meet in the Sullivan Room every fourth Saturday of the

month (except December), at 11:00 am. Participation in the Cliff Dwellers Book Club is free and open to all members and

guests alike. Please email me at richardreeder34@gmail.com if you are interested and/or have any questions.

January 27--The Coast of Chicago Stuart Dybek Honorary CD’08

February 24-- Angela Jackson Honorary CD’17

-

A Surprised Queenhood in the New Black Sun: The Life and Legacy of Gwendolyn Brooks

WE NEED YOUR INPUT!

MEMBERS WISHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO ON AND OFF THE CLIFF

CAN SUBMIT STORIES, REFLECTIONS, ARTICLES, POEMS, PHOTOS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS IN THE ARTS TO

NEWSLETTER EDITOR MIKE DEINES by e--mail mjdeines@yahoo.com

Share Current, Past, and Future Stories about The Cliff Dwellers.

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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A Sneak Preview: CD’s Saturday at the Movies - Early 2018 By Eve Moran CD’10

Movies, movies, movies. We all love the movies. And, there is a special delight in

watching a film in the company of other movie-lovers.

The experience is even more exciting when a member suggests a particular movie for our

viewing (and suggestions are always welcome). For our February 3 film date, George Gabauer

CD’93 has selected The Duellists by director Ridley Scott. It is based on a story by novelist

Joseph Conrad, i.e., The Point of Honor: A Military Tale.

On March 31, we will deeply consider I Am Not Your Negro from director Raoul Peck.

This is a 2016 documentary based on celebrated author James Baldwin’s unfinished

manuscript, Remember This House. The distinguished actor, Samuel L. Jackson, provides the

narration.

The next three films move us into the sphere of the visual artist. On April 14, we will engage

with Seraphine, a 2008 film based on the life of French painter Seraphine de Senlis and directed by Michael

Provost. Next, on May 12, we will enjoy Exit Through The Gift Shop, a documentary film directed by street

artist Banksy. Finally, on a yet undecided date in June, we will feast on Loving Vincent, a story involving

Vincent Van Gogh and depicted in the unique style of oil-painted animation from directors Dorota Kobiela &

Hugh Welchman.

Quick Line-up:

Saturday, February 3, 2018 - The Duellists.

Saturday, March 31, 2018 - I Am Not Your Negro.

Saturday, April 14, 2018 - Seraphine.

Saturday, May 12, 2018 - Exit Through the Gift Shop.

Saturday, June (TBD) - Loving Vincent.

Introductory remarks - 10:30 a.m.

Screening - near 11:00 a.m.

Lunch and discussion - near 1:00 p.m.

Join us for these new and interesting film adventures!

An Editor’s Note: Recently several Club members received special notice in the Chicago Tribune for their contributions

and accomplishments in the Arts. Longtime television news anchor and reporter Robert Jordan CD’14 was acknowledged

for his career in Chicago media and for the recently published Murder in the News: An Inside Look at How Television

Covers Crime. At year’s end, historian Tim Samuelson Honorary CD’03 whom Blair Kamin calls “a passionate

preservationist” was named the Tribune’s 2017 Chicagoan of the Year in Architecture. And finally, sculptor Preston

Jackson (Honorary CD’15) was commissioned by the Monumental Women Project to create a statue of Georgiana Rose

Simpson who arrived at the University of Chicago in 1907 and went on to become one of the first black women in the

U.S. to graduate with a doctorate.

In the following pages you will find the stories of these Cliff Dwellers’ recent accomplishments. Zivio to them!

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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A City’s Murders on TV:

News veteran’s book makes case for more thoughtful coverage By Rick Kogan Chicago Tribune Columnist, November 28, 2017

We cannot expect our television anchors and reporters to be book

writers. Nicely dressed, well-coifed, good teeth and the ability to read a

teleprompter is what we expect, though many of these people tote

diplomas from reputable institutions of higher learning, which have

awarded them degrees in journalism.

On television, where he spent more than four decades as a reporter

and anchor, most of them at WGN-TV, Robert Jordan never struck me as

anything more than a polished pro, which is hardly a bad thing. He

retired in September 2016, writing a goodbye message to colleagues that

read, in part, “It is with deep and ambiguous feelings that I alert you to

my preparations to retire.”

He was 72 years old and had a good run. He also wrote that he

would be devoting his time to his independent production company,

Video Family Biographies (at www.videofamilybiographies.com ), which

produces family history videos.

He did not mention that he was writing a book, and so what a surprising revelation it was to read his

recently published, insightful and thought-provoking “Murder in the News: An Inside Look at How Television

Covers Crime” (Prometheus Books), in which he writes, “In some respects, the treatment of murder is the

perfect way to analyze how newsrooms work in getting information out to the public. And while the method of

information dispersal has changed over the years … one fact remains unchanged, murders are detestable,

abhorrent crimes.”

Jordan brings a lot of experience and serious academic credentials to this work, having degrees from

Roosevelt University (B.A. in general studies) and Northeastern Illinois University (M.A. in speech), and a

doctorate in philosophy of education from Loyola University. In 2014 he was named the first journalist-in-

residence at the University of Chicago’s Careers in Journalism, Arts and Media program.

He addresses the college crowd in the introduction to his book, writing, almost as a desperate desire, “I

hope that students in journalism schools across the country will consider much of the information in this book

as they go about their jobs reporting the news.”

He does a fine job of detailing the history of TV crime coverage and wisely interviews a number of

colleagues and others on the front lines who are frank and often chilling, as in: “We have become a society that

determines that some people’s lives are more important than other people’s lives.”

Part of this package are the results of a 33-question survey that Jordan wrote and sent to assignment

editors and producers in Chicago to, he writes, “Learn more about how murder stories are covered (here) …

because their responses would, in all likelihood, reflect the sentiments of editors and producers in other markets

across the country.” Assuring these people anonymity, Jordan digests the results and concludes with another

hopeful notion, that the results might be useful in helping news organizations avoid “approaching news in a

cookie-cutter fashion.”

Retired WGN anchor Robert Jordan CD’14 says producers and editors must resist “the

tendency to view murder coverage as customary or typical.”

(Chris Walker/Chicago Tribune 2006)

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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The book is peppered with familiar names — Hadiya Pendleton , Jon Burge — and notable cases, and

though it has hints of something that may have begun as some sort of academic exercise or research, it makes

engaging reading.

Television has ever struggled with its coverage of crime. Murders, drug busts, gang shootings and other

notes from the police blotter are numerous and easy to cover. Most news crews and reporters travel to the inner

city, and to suburban crime locations, only on the backs of emergency crews. Of course, not every bit of

mayhem is worthy of attention — and, indeed, may fuel paranoia and bigotry.

Good stories, even from neighborhoods perceived as “bad,” are not lacking. That is why Jordan argues

that producers and assignment editors, those who dictate what we watch, need to get out of their offices and into

what Jordan calls “these sorrowful neighborhoods” where much crime occurs, to knock on doors, talk to people

other than reporters and camera crews, to observe, as he writes, “the uneasy dance between police and the

communities they are sworn to protect.” That’s where reality is and where some truth may lie. “They must

struggle against the tendency to view murder coverage as customary or typical,” Jordan writes.

As persuasive and potent as “Murder in the News” is, is it likely to change anything as TV stations (and

newspapers) fight to hold their ever-diminishing audiences? Doubtful, but reading it will change the way you

watch your local news and think of our city.

Jordan had his time on the tube. His daughter, Karen Jordan, is a weekend news anchor at WLS-Ch. 7 and

son-in-law Christian Farr is a reporter for WMAQ-CH. 5. I am confident that both have read this book. Good,

because the next murder is only moments away, and television’s vast graveyard gets ready for another body.

Tribune’s 2017 Chicagoan of the Year in Architecture: Tim Samuelson Honorary CD’03

A Passionate Preservationist

By Blair Kamin Contact Reporter Chicago Tribune

Can we clone Tim Samuelson? I’m only half kidding.

Samuelson, Chicago’s official cultural historian, is as essential

to the city’s identity as the Loop’s commodities traders and the

weather forecasts of Tom Skilling.

He is a walking encyclopedia, prized by deadline-stressed

reporters who need a colorful story to bring history alive.

He is a passionate preservationist and collector of

pieces of destroyed buildings, who says: “There is no joy in

owning these things.”

He is a masterful mounter of exhibitions, like the 2010

show about architect Louis Sullivanthat featured stunning, large-scale photographs of Sullivan's buildings interspersed

with pieces of the architect’s ornament that viewers were free to touch. (His small exhibition this year delivered an

intimate portrait of Sullivan, countering the widely held view that the last years of the architect’s life were a living hell.)

Above all, Samuelson is a great storyteller, whose tales — earthy and humorous, authoritative but accessible —

interpret Chicago to itself.

“That’s the future of preservation,” Samuelson says. “It’s putting it into a story rather than it being clinical.”

Samuelson, 66, was raised in Chicago’s Rogers Park neighborhood.

Early on, the Chicago preservationist and photographer Richard Nickel brought him along on expeditions that

salvaged fragments of historic buildings that would soon succumb to the wrecker’s ball.

Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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Samuelson then did research and writing for Chicago preservationist architect John Vinci before a long run on the staff of

Chicago’s landmarks commission. In 2002, the city’s brilliant cultural affairs commissioner Lois Weisberg appointed him

to his current job. It had a two-word job description: “Help everybody.”

Samuelson has done that in ways both visible and behind-the-scenes, lending his expertise to the city’s landmarks

commission, city schools, public agencies and private clients.

In a year when the Chicago Architecture Biennial carried the title “Make New History,” Samuelson reminded us

that Chicago’s “old” history remains very much alive.

U. of C. Statue Gives Pioneering Black Scholar Place on Campus, in History By Lolly Bowean Chicago Tribune, November 27, 2017

When Georgiana Rose Simpson arrived at the

University of Chicago in 1907, her presence in a dorm

caused an uproar among some of the other students because

she was black, and she was eventually asked to move off

campus.

Undeterred, Simpson continued her studies by

commuting to campus and corresponding from afar and went

on to become one of the first black women in the U.S. to

graduate with a doctorate, records show.

For decades, Simpson’s role as the first black woman

to finish a doctorate from U. of C. has gone largely

unknown. But on Tuesday, November 28, two students will

unveil a bust of Simpson atop a pedestal at the Reynolds

Club, the university’s student center, which was once

accessible only by white males. For Asya Akca and Shae

Omonijo, the move is an effort to give Simpson her rightful

place in university, and Chicago, history.

“The University of Chicago is on the South Side in a predominantly African-American community, and

yet there is not that much African-American history represented on our campus,” Omonijo said. “This is despite

the fact that so many prominent black scholars came from this institution.

“It’s important to see and know her. … Classes may be hard, you might fail a midterm or not know what

to major in. ... But at the end of the day, if she pushed through, you can make it and graduate.”

With the Simpson statue, Akca and Omonijo are entering a larger conversation about the role of

monuments and statues in the nation’s history and how the images affect the consciousness and esteem of the

people who see them.

Nationally, there are few statues that recognize the historical contributions of women. In Chicago, there are memorials that honor women like Jane Addams — but few that present an actual image of a notable woman.

According to the Smithsonian Institute’s archives, only about 8 percent of publicly displayed statues depict

women.

Rather than pushing for the removal of monuments with a dark history, Omonijo and Akca say they want

to work to develop new ones of women and minorities who have long gone unrecognized for their

contributions.

“Oftentimes women’s history is untold and under represented in our world,” Akca said. “That’s something

we both want to fix. This is a problem, not only in Chicago, but in Washington, D.C., and Louisville (Ky.) and

everywhere else.”

Preston Jackson (Honorary CD’15) with his bust of Georgiana Rose Simpson, one of the first black women in

the U.S. to get a doctorate.

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

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The story of how Simpson’s legacy is being revived is also the story of two young women finding their

voices and developing a close friendship along the way. Omonijo and Akca, both 21-year-old political science

students, met as freshmen living in the same dorm in 2014. Akca, of Louisville, has an interest in how women

are depicted in monuments and statues because she believes the lack of images blocks girls from seeing how

they can impact society. Omonijo, of Baltimore, is passionate about black history and specifically black women

whose contributions have been overlooked and sometimes erased.

The two students stumbled upon Simpson’s story. As they researched, they learned about Simpson’s

accomplishments and how she was treated.

“Not only did she face discrimination because of her race, but because she was studying German at the

height of World War I and there was a lot of anti-German hysteria that she faced as a result of her chosen

topic,” Omonijo said. “But she continued on.”

In the late 1800s, Simpson was among a wave of black educators groomed at Miner Normal School, and

she worked at a segregated high school in Washington, D.C. She was already established in her career when she

uprooted and came to Chicago, first to get her undergraduate degree.

She moved into a dormitory, but was later instructed by the university’s president to move out. She took

summer courses and corresponded by mail to avoid the hostile racism.

After she finished her bachelor’s degree, Simpson returned to Washington and continued teaching. She

returned to Chicago and finished her master’s in 1920 and her doctorate in 1921. She was 55.

When she graduated, a portrait of her in cap and gown was published in the NAACP’s publication The

Crisis.

As a scholar, Simpson wrote articles for W.E.B. Du Bois’ publications and was an ally of African-

American historian Carter G. Woodson. She retired as a college professor teaching German at Howard.

“She was an extensive traveler. She visited Europe and studied in France and Germany,” said Loann J.

King, a regional historian with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, a group Simpson became a member of while in

Chicago. “She wanted to be a beacon of light to other African-American women and encourage them to meet

challenges with dignity and forge ahead.”

Local members of the sorority raised thousands of dollars to help the college students with their project.

Omonijo and Akca dug up a letter Simpson wrote to Du Bois, found her original passport and tracked down the

only remaining portrait of her. For more than three years they have been raising money to pay for the bust,

which cost nearly $50,000. They hired sculptor Preston Jackson, scouted a spot for the display and obtained

permission from the university to have the statue installed. They have formed the Monumental Women Project

to create more statues honoring women.

It took Jackson four months to sculpt the bust. He said the project was layered with meaning. Jackson,

who was a longtime instructor at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, said black artists still struggle to

contribute their ideas to the mainstream.

“As an African-American artist, very few commissions are given to us in Chicago, or anywhere. This

project shows that we are out here and we have the ability,” he said.

At the Reynolds Club, the bronze bust of Simpson will be permanently placed on a tall platform, making

her stand eye-level in the hallway outside of a major gathering space.

The statue will be positioned directly across from a bronze relief honoring Harry Pratt Judson — the

college president who made her move off campus.

“Her bust has her standing tall. … Her chin is up and she’s grinning a little bit,” Omonijo said. “It’s like

she’s saying, ‘You may have kicked me out of the dorm, made it difficult for me, but I still got my degree. And

I’m still influencing the next generation of academic scholars.’”

Volume 40, Number 1 January-February 2018

14

Mark Your Calendar: Special Events On the Cliff

Thursday, January 25: Jazz at The Cliff Dwellers with saxophonist Rajiv Halim

Rajiv will be joined by guitarist Matt Gold and bassist Junius Paul.

Rajiv has performed on all major Chicago jazz stages and at the Chicago Jazz Festival. He has

performed or recorded with: Von Freeman, Martha Reeves, Ari Brown, Ernest Dawkins and Robert Irving. Rajiv

played on the 2016 Grammy best rap album by Chance the Rapper, and released his debut CD, Foundation, in

2015. Reservations for dinner at reservations@cliff-chicago.org or call 312-922-8080.

February 9, 2018: Mardi Gras Madness! The festive spirit of the “Big Easy” is moving into the Kiva. You will

find the music hot; the drinks fashionably cool; and, Chef Victor’s food so good it will have you dancing.

Madame Victoria will offer tarot readings and we’ll have lots of dazzling beads and other surprises! Dress in

costume or don the traditional colors of purple, green and gold or just come as you are. Make your reservations

early. Members and Guests $55; AIR & Young Members: $40.

Saturday, February 17: Spektral Quartet: Close Encounters--Sipping a Glass of 1908 Vienna, 4:00 - 6:00

p.m. This Grammy-nominated quartet, named the Chicago Tribune's Music Chicagoan of the Year, will be performing

at the Club with soprano Kiera Duffy. Enjoy the music of Bartók, Schoenberg and Webern, accompanied by

delectable bites and Viennese beer. For this event, reservations should be made at--

http://spektralquartet.com/concerts/2018/2/11/close-encounters-sipping-a-glass-of-1908-vienna

Wednesday, March 8 - Annual Lunch Program celebrating International Women's Day. Each year, and

throughout the world, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8. It honors the social,

political and economic achievements of women. This annual IWD celebration has become a tradition at

The Cliff Dwellers. In addition to inviting women from The Cliff Dwellers’ community, we invite

students from nearby high schools to be our special guests.

Cliff Notes—

A special thank-you is extended to Larry Okrent, Margery Al-Chalabi,

Janette Tepas, and George Gabauer for taking and sharing so many of

the photos used in this issue of On and Off the Cliff.

Dinner Services at Cliff Dwellers in January, February & March are

the three slowest months of the year and several years ago, it was decided

that on nights when there are no dinner reservations or other events being

held at the Club, the kitchen will close after lunch. Thus, if you plan to

have dinner at the Club during January, February or March, advance

reservations are required by 1:00 p.m.

However, the bar will be open until 7:00 p.m. daily.

A REMINDER FROM THE HOUSE COMMITTEE: In general, non-

members cannot charge food or beverages to the house account of a

member who is not present. Spouses and guests arriving in advance of

their member host can charge their spouses or host's account. Anything

else requires a special arrangement made in advance.